© Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at Linzer biol. Beitr. 31/2 651-654 31.12.1999 Description of Spermophagus montan us nov. spec. (Coleoptera, Bruchidae, Amblycerinae) from Laos K.-W. ANTON Abstract: Spermophagus montanus nov. spec. 6 collected in Laos is described. It belongs to the S. stemmleri group. Key words: Coleoptera, Bruchidae, Spermophagus, new species, Laos. Introduction Besides Palaearctic and Afrotropical species, the Old World genus Spermophagus also comprises 40 species of Oriental origin (BOROWIEC 1991, 1995, ANTON 1993, 1996, 1999). The present paper adds a new species swept from flowering Castanopsis spec. (Fagaceae) in the mountains of north-western Laos. Description Spermophagus montanus nov. spec. S H o 1 o t y p e : Laos, Louang Phrabang prov., 25 km E Muang Ngoy, 20°42'N 102°54'E, 1000 m, 23.iv.1999, 6, leg. K.-W. Anton, in author's collection (Emmendingen, Germany); paratype: same data; <J, in collection of Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum/Biologiezentrum (Linz, Austria). Diagnosis: S. montanus is a member of the S. stemmleri group also including S. atrispinus BOROWIEC 1995 and S. stemmleri DECELLE 1977. Species of S. stemmleri group have male antennal segments with long, erected setae at ventral margin, internal sac in the middle with pair of denticle-like sclerites, and lateral lobes divided into dorsal and ventral lobes. Externally both species, S. atrispinus and 5. stemmleri, differ in elytral vestiture with predominantly blackish-brownish setae and different pattern. Additionally, S. atrispinus shows black hind tibial spines, ventral pubescence uniformly whitish, dorsal lobes with scarcely setous surface and ventral lobes with two kinds of setae. S. stemmleri is closest related to S. montanus, but also differs in antennal segment 1 ventrally yellowish-reddish, dorsal lobes with long setae at ventral surface, and ventral lobes reduced, distinctly shorter. Description: Length (pronotum-elytra): 2.1 mm, width: 1.6 mm. Body short, oval. © Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at 652 Integument black; hind tibial spines yellowish-reddish, claws yellowish-red except dark red basal tooth. Vestiture moderately dense, not covering body surface completely, ven- trally brownish and yellowish-greyish; dorsally predominantly brownish with yellowish- greyish pattern; extreme apex of elytra uniformly brownish, without pattern; pygidium with basal half predominantly yellowish-greyish and apical half predominantly brownish. Head short. Eyes emarginate to three fifth of their length, with rows of 5 facets beyond incision of antenna. Tempora of moderate length. Distance between eyes about one third of greatest width of eye. Frons and vertex convex, with elongate, smooth, shiny interocular carina. Antennae extending to middle of elytra; antennal segment 3 distinctly shorter than 1, segments 8-10 about 1.2 times longer than wide, segment 11 about twice longer than wide. Pronotum about 1.6 times wider than long, double punctured, coarse punctures circular, not dense, disposed uniformly on whole disc. Lateral margin in lateral view convex. Scutellum small, triangular. Elytra about 1.9 times as long as pronotum, as long as their combined width, with maxi- mum width at end of basal two fifth. Humeral calli distinct. Striae distinctly punctured, intervals with dense micropuncturation and with distinct irregular row of large punctures. Sternites without impression or tubercles. Hind legs without sexual characters. Hind tibia with lateral carina not serrate, without dorsolateral carina; apical spines sharp, longer than greatest width of tibia, lateral spine distinctly longer and broader than mesal spine. Claws with distinct tooth. Pygidium double punctured. Male. Ventral margin of antennal segments (3)4-8(9) with row of long, erected setae. Abdomen moderately telescoped, sternite V emarginate to three quarter of length, pygidium with maximum convexity at apical half. Median lobe oblonge, ventral valve pentagonal, dorsal valve subpentagonal, with tip acute. Internal sac in the middle with pair of denticle-like sclerites, in apical half with basally more fused, but apically distinctly separated pairy band of numerous spines becoming gradually larger towards apex, and in basal half with numerous small to moderately large, flattened spines (fig. 1). Lateral lobes modified, each lobe divided into dorsal and ventral lobe; dorsal lobes tape- like, oblonge, margins with about 35 long setae, ventral surface with numerous short setae; ventral lobes fused, short, margins and surface with numerous long setae, setae partially shorter and broader than long setae of dorsal lobes (fig. 2). Basal plate oblonge, with maximum width at apex. Basal strut oblonge, with median carina (fig. 3). Female. Unknown. Host plant: Unknown. Summary Spermophagus montanus nov. spec. 6, belonging to the S. stemmleri group, is described including detailed figures. Additional members and morphological characters of the S. stemmleri group are listed. © Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at 653 References ANTON K.-W. (1993): Description of two new species of the genus Spermophagus SCHOENHERR (Coleoptera, Bruchidae, Amblycerinae) from the Oriental Region. — Entomol. Basiliensia 16: 377-383. ANTON K.-W. (1996): Spermophagus borowieci n. sp. from Pakistan (Coleoptera: Bruchidae: Amblycerinae). — Genus 7: 481-483. ANTON K.-W. (1999): Three new species of Spermophagus SCHOENHERR, 1833 from Thailand, with notes on synonymy of S. perpastus (LEA) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae: Amblycerinae). — Genus 10: 73-80. BOROwmc L. (1991): Revision of the genus Spermophagus SCHOENHERR (Coleoptera: Bruchidae: Amblycerinae). — Genus, Suppl.: 198pp. BOROWIEC L. (1995): Spermophagus atrispinus n. sp. from India and Thailand (Ccleoptera: Bruchidae: Amblycerinae). — Genus 6: 99-102. Author's address: Klaus-Werner ANTON Grünewaldstraße 13 D-79312 Emmendingen, Germany © Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at 654 Figs 1-3. Spermophagus montanus, male genitalia (ventral view): 1 - median lobe; 2 - lateral lobes, 3 - spiculum gastrale. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.